Gas turbine engine starter



Sept. 8, 1953 EA. VOLK GAS TURBINE ENGINE STARTER Filed April 13, 1951 M vv EM/L A. VOLK' HITO/QA/EY Patented Sept. 8, 1953 GAS TURBINE ENGINE STARTER Emil A. Volk, Jr., Hasbrouck Heights, N. J., assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, Teterboro, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application April 13, 1951, Serial No. 220,841

Claims. 1

thing above the minimum speed at which the power output of the turbine exceeds that absorbed by the compressor, in order that the engine may take over and accelerate itself to idling speed. Further, the gas turbine requires a greater amount of power than that required to start the piston engine of comparable horsepower.

The turbine type starter, using a small turbine running at high speed connected through reduction gearing to the starter jaw, has been found suitable to provide the quick starts desirable for the as turbine engine. The starter turbine is powered by expanding gases such as from a slow burning powder cartridge or gasoline and compressed air.

Usually a predetermined charge is ignited and the turbine wheel is subject to the pressure of the gas generated until the charge has been dissipated. In this connection, it is necessary to provide some means to prevent the turbine from overspeeding. Should the jaws fail to mesh or the engine start before the charge is dissipated, the speed of the turbine would rise above a safe value.

Various types of centrifugal devices have been utilized in attempts to limit the turbine speed. However, these devices have been mounted on the turbine shaft and the high speed of rotation has prevented any accuracy in the control.

In the present invention, the control means are actuated from the low speed end of the starter and comprise a clutch actuated by balls to move the cut-ofi plate to direct the flow of gas away from the turbine blades, a spring returns the cut-01f plate back to its normal position upon the speed falling below the predetermined maximum. Further, the cut-off plate is so designed that upon it being moved to the cut-off position, the gas pressure tends to aid in moving the cut-off plate to the cut-01f position.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved speed control for turbine type starters.

and nozzles of a turbine.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for controlling the flow of gases in a turbine.

'bore portion 33 having internal splines 34.

'journaled on stub shaft M by bearings 42.

The above and other objects and. features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a starter embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a detailed sectional View of the cutoff plate showing its relationship to the nozzles and turbine blades.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is indicated generally by the numeral 5 a starter comprising generally a turbine 6, gearing l and jaw mechanism 8.

Gases under pressure are supplied from a suitable source such as from a cartridge of explosives (not shown) through inlet 9 to turbine inlet chamber it). From the inlet chamber I 0, the gases expand through nozzles l I and are directed against turbine blades [2. An exhaust port l3 permits the spent gases to escape. The turbine wheel I4 is integral with shaft [5 which is journaled in bearings l6 and IT.

The bearings l6 and I! are supported by a cylindrical flange section [8 of wall IS. .A look ring 20, spacer 2i and a cup-shaped member 22 hold the bearings Hi and I1 in position. The lock ring 20 may also hold a seal 23 against the bearing IT. The member 22 is secured to the wall I!) by bolts 24. The member 22 has bailles 25 adapted to enact with baflles 26 on the turbine wheel M to provide a seal for the hot gases. A cover 21 surrounds the bearings l6 and I! and isattached to the wall 19 by bolts 28 which also secure the wall l9 to housing 29 of the gearing section 1. The cover 2! serves to protect the bearing assembly from the hot gases and coacts with housing 30 to form an exhaust chamber.

The housing 30 is secured to housing 29 by bolts 3|.

The shaft 15 is secured in the bearing assembly by a lock nut 32. The shaft l5 has a counter- A sleeve 35 having splines 36 adapted to mesh with the splines 34 is secured in the counterbore portion 33 by a lock ring 31. The sleeve 35 has a splined portion 38 adapted to mesh with gear 39. The gear 39 is integral with gear 40 and is The shaft M is carried by the wall !9 and the bearings 42, and gear 394i3 are secured on the shaft by a wall member 43 and retaining ring 44 supported by post 45 attached to the wall member cured to the housing by screws 55.

The barrel 41 is connected to'spline nut 50 by conventional clutch pack 51. A spring 50 forces the disc of the clutch pack 51 together. A ring nut 59 screw threadedly mounted in the open" inner end of the barrel 41 is adapted to adjust tension of the spring 58 and the friction between the disc of the pack 51. The spline nut 561has internal long lead splines 60 engaging mat ng splines 6| of screw shaft 62. The screw shaft 62 has a splined connection 63 to jaw member 64 for rotation therewith and axial movement relative thereto. A meshing rod 65 has a flange 66 behind a flange 6? of the screw shaft 62, a sealing ring 68 in a groove of a shoulder facing the member 64 and a portion 69 extending through the member 64 on which is fixed a nut I compressing the sealing ring 68 and holding the member 64 to the rod 65. A spring II in the shaft 62 and through the intermediary of which the shaft 62. acts when it pushes the jaw member 54 for engagement with an engine jaw element (not shown), is disposed between the flange 61 and a spring backing ring I2 on the rod 65. The jaw member 64 has a flange I3 to provide sufiicient mass to cause the screw shaft 62 to be moved axially by the spline nut 56 thereby moving the jaw member 64 into an engine engaging position. A return spring I4 is disposed between a spring retaining ring 75 and a shoulder I6 on a rod 11 extending into a counterbore portion I8 of the mesh rod 65. The rod 17 is anchored by a flanged member I9. An oil seal 80 surrounds the shank portion of the jaw 64 and is positioned by end plate BI. The end plate BI is secured to the housing 48 by screws 82.

The novel feature of the invention resides in the overspeed control. A cut-01f plate I00 is disposed between the nozzles II and the turbine blades I2. The cut-off plate I00 has openings IOI normally in line with the nozzles II and terminates in a flanged portion I102 extending over the ends of the turbine blades I2. The cut-01f plate I00 has a hub portion I03 journaled in bearings I04. The bearings I04 are supported by end plate I05. The hub I03 has internal splines adapted to mesh with gears I06. The gears I06 are mounted on stub shafts I01 car- III coact with bafiies I29 oncut-off plate-I00 to proextending flange I3I is secured to the barrel 41 by screws I32. The member I30 is connected to ,v the shaft I09 through clutch pack I33. One set ried by the plate I05. The gears I06 mesh with a pinion gear I08 carried by a shaft I09. The shaft I09 extends through the turbine wheel I4, sleeve 35 and terminates in a splined section IIO. I09. III and has one end secured to a flange [I3 on the hub member I I I. The other end of the spring H2 is secured in a slot I I4 in an extension II5 ofwall member 43. The extension 5 is secured to the wall member 43 by screws H6 or any other conventional means. The extension II5 also has a flange In for supporting bearing H8.

The spring I I2 is wound in a direction to bias the cut-off plate I00 to the normal open position. Tension on the spring II2 may be adjusted by means of a nut-like projection II9 on the end plate I05 to facilitate rotating the plate I05. A snap ring I20 having outward extending ends I2I, extending through anopening I22 in .a flange I23 of the plate I05 is adapted for positioning the ends I21 in any of a plurality of slots I24 in a ring-like member I25. The ringlike member I25 is secured to the chamber I0 by screws I23. The member I25 also has a flange .IZI extending radially inward over the bearing I04. The flange I21 has baiile I28 adapted to A hub member III is keyed to the shaft. A spring II 2 surrounds the hub member of discs of the clutch pack I33 is splined to the member I30'and the other set to the splined end I I0 of the shaft I09. The clutch pack I33 is disposed between a backing plate I34 and a pressure plate I35. The backing plate I34 is secured in position by a ring nut I36 which permits adjustment of the clutch pack due to wear. of the discs. Pressure is applied to the pressure plate I by balls I31 actuated by centrifugal force against a wedge shaped ring I38 to urge clutch pack compression piece I39 against the bias of spring I40 to compress the clutch pack. The ring I38 is threaded into the member I30 to permit adjustment.

In operation, the turbine wheel I4 is driven by gases under pressure directed against the turbine blade l2 by the nozzles II whence they exhaust through the exhaust port I3. The tut.- bine wheel drives the reduction gearing through the shafts I5 and 35. The output of the reduction gearing is connected to rotate the barrel 4] which is connected by the clutch pack 51 to rotate the starter jaw 64 through the conventional spline nut 56, screw shaft 62 and mesh rod 65. The member I30 carrying the centrifugally responsive balls I3? is rotatably connected to the barrel 4?. Under a predetermined speed, the Springs I40 bia the clutch pack I33 into a dis.- engaged position.

As the turbine reaches .a maximum predetermined speed, the balls I31 move outward and roll up on the wedge shaped ring I38. As the balls I31 move outward, the clutch compression member I39 is moved against the bias of spring I40 and compresses the clutch pack I33 which yieldably connects the barrel 4? to the shaft I09. The shaft I09 is rotated by the barrel 4! against the bias of return spring H2 and rotates the cut-off plate I00 to move the opening IOI away from the nozzles II. A stop I4I limits the travel of the cut-01f plate I 00. The cut-off plate I00 has projections I42 (see Figure 2) which when initially moved into the nozzle stream act so as to augment the transmitted rotation from the clutch pack. Upon the cut-off plate I00 reaching the cut-off position and further rotation prevented by the stop I4l, the clutch pack I33 will again slip due to the higher torque imposed thereon. In the cut-off osition, the gases are deflected around the turbine blades and pass out through the ports I3.

Upon the turbine slowin below the predeter- .mined speed, the balls I3'I are forced down the wedge ring I38 by the spring I40 removing the pressure from the clutch pack I33. The return spring II2 unwinds to move the orifice plate I00 to place the openings II in front of the nozzles II.

Adjusting the wedge ring I38 in or out varies the speed at which the clutch pack I33 engages as it varies the distance the compression piece I 39 must be moved by the balls I 31 before it compresses the clutch pack I33 to an engaging position. End play in the clutch pack I33 may be controlled so as to maintain the preselected engagement speed as wear takes place by adjusting the ring nut I 36.

Thus, the centrifugal control is located on the low speed end of the starter where it operates at a lower speed and can be controlled within narrow limits. Further, it permits a wider tolerance in the parts thereby facilitating manufacture.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and. described, various changes in the form and relative arrangement of the parts, which will now appear to those skilled in the art, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An engine starter comprising the combination of a gas turbine, inlet nozzles and an outlet through which motive gas is respectively admitted to and discharged from the turbine, jaw rotating mechanism, reduction gearing interconnecting said turbine and said jaw rotating mechanism, a cut-off plate interposed between said inlet nozzles and said turbine and having a closed and an open position, spring means for biasing said cut-01f plate to its open position, means including a centrifugally operated clutch for yieldably connecting said cut-off plate to said jaw rotating mechanism upon the speed of rota tion of said jaw rotating mechanism exceeding a predetermined rate to move said cut-off plate to its closed position thereby interrupting the flow of gas to said turbine.

2. An engine starting apparatus comprising the combination of a gas turbine, an inlet and an outlet through which motive gas is respectively admitted to and discharged from the turbine, jaw engaging and rotating mechanism, reduction gearing interconnecting said turbine to said jaw mechanism, a cut-ofi plate interposed between said inlet and said turbine and having opening normally in line with said inlet, means responsive to the speed of rotation of said jaw mechanism to rotate said cut-01f plate to move said openings out of line with said inlet upon said speed exceeding a predetermined rate thereby to by-pas said gas from said turbine.

3. In an engine starter of the turbine type having a turbine wheel, jaw mechanism and reduction gearing interconnecting said turbine wheel and jaw mechanism; an over-speed device comprising a cut-off plate for controlling the flow of gases to said turbine wheel, said plate being normally biased to direct the flow of gases to said turbine wheel, means including a disc pack clutch normally biased in a disengaged position for connecting said cut-01f plate to the low speed output of said reduction gearing, and ball actuated means responsive to the speed of rotation of said low speed output to actuate said disc pack clutch to an engaging position upon said speed exceeding a predetermined maximum to move said plate to direct the flow of gases away from said turbine wheel.

4. In an engine starter of the type having a turbine, jaw mechanism, and reduction gearing interconnecting said turbine and jaw mechanism, the combination comprising nozzle means for directing the flow of gases, a control plate having opening therein to permit the passage of the gases to said turbine, means for biasing said control plate so that said openings are normally in register with said nozzle means, speed responsive means for overcoming said bias and moving said control plate so that said openings are out of register with said nozzle means, said last means including a disc pack clutch for connecting said control plate to the low speed output of said reduction gearing and a ball actuated pressure member responsive to said low speed output to bias said clutch pack into frictional engagement upon said speed exceeding a predetermined maximum.

5. In an engine starter having a turbine, jaw mechanism, reduction gearing interconnecting said turbine and jaw mechanism, and inlet and outlet ports through which motive gas is respectively admitted and discharged from the turbine, the improvement comprising a cut-off plate interposed between the inlet and the turbine and angularly movable to deflect the motive gas from the turbine, means including a disc pack clutch normally biased in a disengaged position for connecting said cut-off plate to the low speed side of said reduction gearing, and speed responsive means for biasing said clutch into frictional engagement upon the speed of said low speed side exceeding a predetermined maximum.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 and including means for adjusting said biasing means to select a predetermined maximum speed.

'7. A gas turbine starter comprising the combination of a rotor, one or more inlet nozzles, an

outlet, jaw mechanism, reduction gearing interconnecting said rotor and said jaw mechanism, a cut-ofi plate interposed between said nozzles and said rotor, said cut-off plate having apertures therein normally biased to be in line with said nozzles, means includinga shaft and a disc pack clutch for connecting said plate to the output side of said reduction gearing, said disc pack being biased normally in a disengaged position, means including a centrifugally responsive member for overcoming said bias and urging said disc pack into frictional engagement upon the speed of said output side exceeding a predetermined amount to move said apertures out of line with said nozzles, and means to limit the travel of said plate.

8. An engine starter comprising the combination of a gas turbine. inlet nozzles and an outlet through which motive gas is respectively admitted to and discharged from the turbine, jaw mechanism, reduction gearing interconnecting said turbine and said jaw mechanism, a cut-off plate interposed between said nozzles and said turbine, said cut-off plate having apertures therein disposed opposite said nozzles, speed responsive means adapted to rotate said cut-oil. plate to deflect said motive gases from said nozzles. said means including a disc pack clutch normally biased to an open position, a centrifugally o erated pressure plate disposed on the low speed side of said reduction gearing and operable to overcome said bias and urge said disc pack into frictional engagement upon the speed of said gearing exceeding a predetermined maximum, alni means for limiting the movement of said p a e.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 and includingprojections on said plate responsive to the motive gas to coact with said speed responsive means to rotate said plate.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 8 and including means to return said plate to a position wherein said apertures are disposed opposite said nozzles upon the speed of said gearing falling below said predetermined maximum.

EMIL A. VOLK, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,154,572 Lansing Apr. 18, 1939 2,559,006 Clapham July 3, 1951 

